by Hannah 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
First of all, I would like to introduce myself to all of you. I am new to this board--so hello everyone!
JWs are always quoting Matthew 24:14 to support their preaching efforts and push their member for more hours (where in the bible is that anyway?). Does anyone have any thoughts on Jesus' words of preaching the good news to the entire inhabited earth? What does this scripture really mean?
Hannah
Nothing wrong with that scripture. Here's some questions to ask.
1. What is the 'good news' that they preach? Is this the same one that Jesus taught?
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4 KJV
"Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us." "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, for whoever is not against us is for us. Mark 9: 38-40 NIV
2. What of the great organizations who are spreading the 'preaching work' far more effectively than the witnesses?
Here's a few examples.
All of these organizations spread their message faster and more efficiently than the JW's, with a much smaller work force.
3. What about China?
Welcome Hanah
First of all it would be good to find out just WHAT the "good news of the kingdom" was EXACTLY.
Read in the gospels and find out if the good news was about a paradise earth....or something else.
And.....can one really think everyone on this planet in all parts of the earth will actually hear the Jehovahs Witness message BEFORE the end comes? There are billions at this moment who couldn't tell you what a Jehovahs Witness is....let alone their message.
Gumby
Thanks for the reminder, gumby.
4. It is now impossible to get the good news to all people, all missions efforts included, because of the earth's growth rate. There is no possible way to keep up.
Wow Jgnat.....that's a bit weird seeing the population grow as the chart shows.
The dubs have a few select articles they quote when the subject comes up such as "will all hear the good news before the end comes"?
Their reasoning at that point is..."Jehovah will see to it the work is done to 'his satisfaction'..or he 'will read the hearts' of those not preached to yet, .....and he (Jehovah) will know who is 'rightously disposed'. They say this out of one side of their mouth but the other side of their mouth they spew forth much more condemnation to all not 'inside the ark' (organisation).
Gumby
Welcome Hannah,
Matthew 24:14 modifies Mark 13:10: "And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations" into: "And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come."
Matthew qualifies the "good news" (euaggelion, "gospel") by adding "of the kingdom," one of his keywords, referring back to the message common to John the Baptist and Jesus (3:2; 4:17; same expression in 4:23; 9:35). It is what Jesus and others preached, not what was preached about Jesus. And it was definitely not Paul's "law-free Gospel" (5:17ff; 7:21ff). So it is not exactly identical with "the Christian message" in general. And certainly not with the particular "message" of the Watchtower as it developed from the late 19th-century onward.
It is to be proclaimed throughout the "world" or "inhabited earth" (oikoumenè) which is the usual designation of the Roman empire (cf. Luke 2:1).
Contrary to Mark it is not directly proclaimed to the nations (= Gentiles) but "as a testimony to" them, suggesting an indirect relationship (compare the use of the same expression in 8:4; 10:18). This text stands halfway between the command to preach the good news to Israel only (10:6,23) and the final command to make disciples of the Gentiles (28:18-20). Here a missionary activity in the Jewish diaspora might be sufficient as a testimony to the Gentiles.
In the context of chapter 24, with "the end" as the ultimate prospect, it was all supposed to happen within "this generation," which is still expected to end "immediately after" Jerusalem's fall in AD 70 (v. 29,34).
The text remains, meanings come and go...
Hi Hannah,
Well yesterday afternoon I received absolute proof (that I am seriously thinking of sending my sister) that the Jws are not the only ones involved in a teaching/preaching work:
When I went to get my mail, 2 'tracts' about Jesus and being saved were on my porch. This is the 2nd or 3rd group of people who have come through my neighborhood in a year. The message they carry is pretty simple: Jesus.
.....I realize next to what the others said this might not be such a big deal, but my point is just that while the witnesses claim they're the only ones fulfilling Matt 24, it doesn't take much to prove them wrong.
welcome to the board
meagan
Contrary to Mark it is not directly proclaimed to the nations
Poor Narkster.....he don't realise that Jesus had in mind a grand scale preaching work that would be carried on by Jehovah's Witnesses in the 19th century and that even their assemblies were spoken of in the book of Revelations in regards to the "trumpet blasts" that PROVES they alone have gods backing. Even their Watchtower and AWAKE! magazines were spoken of as "horses" in Revelations....a future time.... and not just a time surrounding 70c.e.
I hear he's an apostate bastard anyways
Gumby
The JWs claim that these verses are applied to them due to the extensive preaching that they do but that is not necessarily so, there are many other groups preaching the gospel and the JWs success of penetrating the Moslem and Hindu worlds has been almost non existent. Most of their converts have a christian background. And their style of preaching is also very ineffective in reaching ppl.
Morning All, and Welcome to the board Hannah!
OMG, there is a God, her name is "jgnat", I've been looking for that scripture for ever (Mark 9:38-40)
Was trying to show there were others teaching the "Way" to salvation, and were seperate from Jesus, Thanks!
One thing that scripture doesn't say (Matt 24:14) is that the good news is to be preached to every person, no it says every nation, whole earth, whole world.
The question is what was the good news? It's not what the churches or JW's teach.
Jesus taught something called the "Way" which was a way of living, a "Way" of life.
What you need to determine is, what was that 'Way" ?
My suggestion is to look at the "Nag Hammadi" text which reveals quite abit of information about Jesus and what he taught.
Look up information on the "Nazarene Essenes" that's what Jesus was. ( Acts 24:5 "We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect)
I would start my search there.
As far as reporting hours, that's just a way the WTS controls the rank & file, you don't put enough hours you are made to feel guilty It's always do more, do more
Mark 7:6-8
6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
7
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
Do the research!
Acadian
